RE: Passing Parameters

They are both still external procedures.

What I meant was that they were external to the program they were being used in. I just used the term API inappropriately but was more interested in getting the thought across.

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Don Wereschuk
ISD - Programmer/Analyst
Simcoe Parts Service Inc.
Phone: 705-435-7814 Ex: 302
Fax: 705-435-6746
mailto:dwereschuk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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"Save the Cheerleader - Save the world" - Hiro Nakamura

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Steve Richter
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 10:08 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: Passing Parameters

On Jan 23, 2008 9:52 AM, Don Wereschuk <dwereschuk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Steve: It is my understanding that an API is a procedure that must be
declared in the program before it can be used. A BIF is a procedure that
doesn't need to be declared in the program and can be used by any program
that is using the language the BIF belongs to.

that is a good definition.

They are both still external procedures.

external or internal, that is something I would think is up to the
implementation of the compiler. In ILE C, I expect some of the C runtime
functions ( memcpy ) are expanded inline by the C compiler and dont result
in calls to the service program they actually reside in. I would stick with
your concise definition that an API has to be declared in the program,
whereas the BIF does not.

-Steve
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